Rifle



H. E. HINES.

RIFLE.

APPLxCATloN FILED MAY I9. 1919.

Patented May 3, 1921. A

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IAE. HINES.

RIFLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I9. I9I9.

Patented May 3,1921.

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' H. E. HINEs.

RIFLE.

vAPPLICATION FILED MAY I9, I9I9 Patented May 3, 1921.

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@www l HARRY E. EINES, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

RIFLE.

Spe'cicationlof Letters Patent. Patented May 3 192L Application mea may 19,1919. serial No. 298,017.

To allfwhomitmy concern.'

Be it known that I, HARRY E. HINEs, a citizen of the United States of America, residin at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and tate of Michigan, have invented cer'- tain new and useful Improvements in Rifies, of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinl to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to that class of automatic rifles commonly styled magazine or repeating riies, and a fire arm in accordance with my invention may be characterized in the following particulars.

First, the rifle has a detachable barrel that may be easily duce the longitudinal dimension of'the rifle so that it may .be conveniently carried, particularly in a rifle case.

Second, the rifle has a novel magazine positioned at the side of the trigger guard, so that cartridges may be at all times positioned to enter the breech piece and the cartridge chamber of the rifle barrel. The location of the magazine is such that it may serve as an auxiliary guard for the trigger,

and this arrangement is in contradistinction tothe usual location of the magazine, either along the rile barrel or behind or in front of the trigger guard. The location of the magazine is such as to provide a perfectly balanced gun and the magazine may be in the form of an endless belt, cartridge carrier, or other member by which cartridges may-be expeditiously carried into action, particularly when the riie is lconstructed as a rapid fire implement.

' Third, the rifle-includes a novel re-loading mechanism that may be operated by hand or by a pressure of gas produced bythe tiring of the rifle. The pneumatic means employed for actuating the loading mechanism is constantly articulated therewith so.

that it may be used, particularly after the first cartridge has been placed in the cartridge chamber.l The hand operating means is also in position to ,serve the re-l'oading mechanism should the-pneumatic means fail,

- 1n my and both the hand and pneumatic means are compactly assembled in the breech piece `and stock and barrel grip; As' brou ht out companion application filed 'ay 19,

1919, Serial No.- 298,016, the pneumatic ymeans is in proximity to the breech piece and does not overbalance the rifle.

Fourth, my invention is characterized by and quickly detached to re` a rie wherein the -parts are constructed with a-view of reducing the cost of manufacture and at the same time retain those features by which safety, durability and ease o f assembling are secured. With such 4ends 1n view, my invention -resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described 'and then claimed, and reference will v now be had to the'drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional View of a portion of a 4riiie in accordance with my invention, showing a cartridge in position to be fired and the rifle cocked;

Fig 2 is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view on the line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the re-loading mechanism in a retracted position about ready to place a .cartridge in the cartridge chamber;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal horizontal secf tional view of the same;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line V-V of Fig. 1;

Figi 6 is a side elevation of the breech piece, showing the magazine holder, partly brolren away and partly in section;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view'of a detached loaded magazine;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view ofthe outer or Jforward end of the breech piece;

Fig. 9 is a similar view of the inner or rear end of the barrel;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the forwa'd or outer end of a re-loading member, an

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line XIXI of Fig. 1. vIn describing my invention by aid of the drawings above referred to, I desire to point' out that the same are intended as merely illustrative of the rifie which I have constructed, tested and found satisfactory, therefore I do not care to conine my invention to the precise construction and arrangementofparts shown, other than what maybe deiined in'l the appended. claims.

In the drawings, thereference numeral 1 denotes a breech piece which has thec rear portion thereof terminating in a hollow stock grip into which is -fitted and suit-` set in from the extreme inner end of the having a projectile 11. On the inner end' of the barrel 4, at the end wall 5, is a barrel grip member 12, containing a cylinder 13 lfor a reciprocable piston 14 which extends into the breech piece 1 below the socket 7 of said breech piece. The cylinder 13 and its piston 14 constitutes a portion of pneumatic means employed for actuating a reloading member or breech block within the breech piece 1 of the rifle, said cylinder receiving gas under pressure from the bore 9 of the barrel 4, when the projectile 1.1 is discharged, and in this manner actuating the piston 14 in one direction to impart a retractile movement to re-loading mechanism within the breech piece 1.

Engaging the cap or rim 15 of the cartridge 10 is a movableor reciprocable loading member or breech block 16, which is slidable in the' upper portion of the breech piece 1 and is adapted to have its inner or rear end engage an abutment 17 of the breech piece, said abutment receiving any end thrust of the reloading member. The greater part of the re-loading member is .recessed or cut away, as best shown in Fig. 2; On one side of the re-loading member is a recess 18 for a pivoted resilient cartridge gripping member 19, and slidable in the op* posite side of the member 16 is a lcartridge moving member 20. The member 19 overhangs the cap or rim 15 of the cartridge and the member 20 extends to the s ide of the rim, so that when the member 16 is retracted the cartridge 10 may be extracted and ejected from the chamber 8. The member 20 has a pin and slot connection with the member 16, as at 21, andthe inner end of s'aid member is normally engaged by a spring pressed plunger 22 within the lmember 16 which tends to tilt the member 20, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The member 20 is normally held against a tilt- Aing movement by the rear end of the moving member 20 engaging in a groove 23 at the side of the re-loading member 16.

When the re-loading member- 16 is retracting, the cartridge moving member 20 is held stationary by means of the empty shell,

which presses on an ejector 24 which engages the member 2O holding it in a rearward position until the forward end of the shell is leaving thecartridge chamber 8, at which time the spring pressure upon the cartridge moving member 20,l forces the member 24 against rearward end of cartridge opposite the gripping member 19, which causes the cartridge to be' flipped outwardly and ejected from an exit 25 in the breech piece. Now the cartridge moving member 20 and the ejector 24 having been partially retracted, the member 20 is out of the groove 23 and the spring pressure upon rear end of member 20 causes the forward end of the member 20 to be thrust outward against cartridge in ma azine and as the member 16 moves to s. ful retracted position, the member 2O passes by the cartridge in magazine and is released for further lateral or outward thrust as shown in Fig. 4.

The ejector or deflecting pin 24 is slidable in the member 16 and loosely connected to the member 20, and slidable in the forward end of the re-loading member 16 is a firing pin 26 held against accidental displacement by a pin or screw 27. The firing pin is lorim 15 of the cartridge 10.

1 cated for center firev relative to the cap or y As before stated, the greater part of the I loading member 16 is hollow and consequently provides clearance for a hammer 28 adapted to be swung upwardly in the reloading member 16 to impinge against the firing pin 26 and cause said pin to detonate the charge within the cartridge case 10. rIhe hammer 28 is pivotally supported, as at 29, in the lower portion of the breech piece 1 and the pivoted end of said hammer has a crank portion 30 provided with'an anti-frictional roller 31 engaged by the end of a com paratively flat slotted main spring 32 extending into the stock grip 2 and connected thereto, as at 33. The hammer 28 has its hea-d or outer end extending vthrough the slot 34 of the main spring 32 and provided with notches or shoulders 35 and 363adapted to be alternately engaged by the shoulders 37 and 38, respectively, of a trigger 39 pivotally held, as at 40, in the lower portion of the breech piece 1 and extending into a trigger guard 41 of said breech piece. The'trigger 39 has a finger piece 42 and a lug or projection 43 normally engaged by a spring 44 held bythe same fastening means 33 as'the main spring 32. The forceproduced by the spring 44 is adapted to maintain the triIgger'39 normally'in engagement with the ammer 28, so that said hammer will be held fully cocked.,l As shown in Fig. 1, the hammer is fully cocked and when the finger piece 42 is pulled the hammer 28 is released and the expansive' force of the spring 32 projects the head or outer end of the hammer upwardly into the reloading member to strike the firing p in 26. When the hammer 28 is restored to normal position, aswill hereinafter appear, the shoulder 37 of the trigger 39 engages in the notch 35 ofthe hammer 28 and the vhammer is held even should the user of the rifle maintain finger pressure on the trigger. When the trigger is released, the

shoulder 37 is moved out of engagment with thenotch 35 and the shoulder 38 placed in engagement 'with the notch 36 of the hammer whereby the hammer is fully cocked and any pulling movement of the finger piece 42 completely releases said hammer. The initial engagement between the hammer and trigger is essential toprevent repeated firing, without trigger action, or misplacement` of the hammer while the reloading member is retracted.

Pivotally connected to the rear end of the re-loading member 16, as at 45, is a latch 46 adapted to be engagedby the head 47 of the reciprocable member 48 pivotally connected to the rear end of the piston 14, as at 49, said reciprocable member being slotted to provide clearance for the hammer 28 and also provided with an inclined portion 50 adapted to engage the hammer 28 and shift said hammer to a cocked or normal position. When the piston 14 imparts movement to the reciprocable member 48, the head 47 of said member engages the latch 46 with a wedging action and shifts said latch against the abutment 17 which serves asa ulcrum Jfor said latch, causing the latch to be rocked to lower the rear end of the re-loading member 16 out of engagement with -the abutment 17, whereby the re-loading member may be carried into the stock grip 2 by the head 47 remaining in engagement with the latch 46, and assume the position shown in Fig. 3.

Pivotally connected to the head 47 `of the reciprocable member 48 by a pin51 or other pivotal means is a retracting member 52 which engages a spring pressed plunger 53.

slidable in a cylinder 54 mounted in the stock 3 of the rifle, said 'plunger being engaged by a coiled spring 8O within the cylinder. The

forward end'oi` the retracting member 52 has a hookshaped portion 55 slidable in a during the guide 56 within the stock grip 2, said guide having its rear end supportingthe forward end of the cylinder member 4 and connected to the stock grip 2, as 'at 57, an-d its forward end provided with shoulders 81'on which bears the head 47 of the reciprocable member 48, when -holding the re-loading member 16 against the abutment 17. In this manner the re-loading member 16 is firmly braced firing of a cartridge. The hookshaped portion 55 of the retracting member 52 is adapted to be engaged by a finger 58 slidable in a slot 59 of the stock grip 2, and said finger is connected to a slide 60 slidable on a dove-tailed tongue 61 of the stock grip 2. The slide 6() normally closes the slot 59, as best shown in Fig. 1, and the forward end of said slide has a finger grip 62, so that the slide can be gripped and retracted to impart a similar movement to the retracting The connection between the finger 58 and the hookshaped portion 55 of the retracting member 52 is such that the retracting member 52 may be actuated by the pneumatic means through the medium of J the reciprocable member 48, independent of the hand operating means represented by the elements 58, 60-and 62.

That side of the breech piece 1, opposite the exit 25, has an integral housing 63 with the bottom of said housing open so that a magazine casing 64 may have its upper end pushed upwardly into the housing, and said magazine assumes a position in parallelism with the vertical plane passing through the axis of the breech piece, as best shown in Fig. 5. rlhe magazine when in position closes what might be considered the lefthand side of the trigger guard 41 and is adapted to contain cartridges which are elerated by the expansive force of a spring 65 located in the closed lower end or bottom of the magazine 64. The upper end of the magazine 64 has an oblong opening 66 confronting the re-loading member 16 and communicating with the interior of the breech piece 1. .The opening 66 is of such shape that the cartridges may be manually placed in the magazine to load the same, and the cartridges automatically removed from said magazine. One end of the opening 66 eX- poses the cap or rim 15 of the uppermost cartridges 10 and the opposite end of the .opening 66 exposes the end of the projectile 11 of the uppermost cartridge.

When the re-loading member 16 is restored to normal position by the expansive force of the spring 8O behind the plunger 53 in the cylinder 54, the cartridge moving member 20, which is in a tilted position, as shown in Fig. 4, engages the cap or rim 15 of the cartridge 10 within the magazine and forces the cartridge forward so that the projectile 11 of the cartridge rides against the beveled wall 67 of the breech piece 1, said wall de flecting the end of the cartridge into the cartridge chamber 8 and further movement of the cartridge by the re-loading member 16 causes the cartridge to be pushed home into the position in Fig. 2. During this operation the cartridge moving member 20 is behind ,the cartridge and as the cartridge is seated, the member 20 is straightened and held while the re-loading member 16 abuts the cartridge 10: the rear end of the member 20extending into the groove 23 to hold said member as shown in Fig. 2. It it also during this operation that the cartridges remaining' in the magazine 64 crowd the uppermost cartridge into an active position in the magazine. and this operation may be repeated until the magazine is exhausted.

To retain the magazine 64 in engagement with theY housing 63, an end wall-101? said housing has a resilient detent 68 adapted to snap into an opening 69 in the magazine 64 ing until the detent is kmanually actuatedto release the magazine.

The rifle possesses certain` other refinements, for instance, at the` kconnection between the barrel 4 and the breech piece 1. f The end wall 5 and the breech piece 1 are constructed to provide a tongue 70 adapted to interlock in a groove 71, and after such interlockingconnection `a screw 72 maybe mountedin the breech piece 1, as shown in Fig. 4, to hold thek barrel 4 against acci- .dental rotation relative to the breech piece.

The screw threaded connection between the barrel 4k and the breech piece l is ksuch that a single orpartial rotation of the barrel is sufficient to place the tongue 'and groove in active relation. e

Another refinement of the rifle is a safetyk device adjacent the trigger 39, saidk safety device consisting 0fv a rock shaft 73k held in adjusted position by a spring 74 mounted n within the stock grip 2. The rock shaft 73 n trigger is locked and the upper portionofk is adapted to engage the trigger 39 andthe crank indicatesl that the trigger is free,

:and with said crank adjacent and parallel to the finger piece 42, the user of the rifle can determine thecondition ofthe safety klock by thelin er and thus reduce the chances of acci entally discharging the rifie.

Another refinement is that of a locking Y device 76, at the side of the breech piece 1 to hold the piston 14 in a retracted position, so that the barrel 4 may be removed from the breechy piece. This locking device is best shown in Fig. 4 and may be in the form of a resilient member actuated by a button.

Assuming that the riflel is in position for firing, as shown in Fig. 1, a lpull on the trigger 42 releases the hammer 28 and the cartridge 10 is detonated. As the projectile 11 goes forward in the bore 9 -of the barr'el 4, the pressure of gas behind the projectile and against the' piston 14 forces the reciprocable member 48 rearwardly until its head 47 engages the latch 46 and retracts the re-loadin member 16 ,causing the reloading, memer to extract the cartridge case 10 and eject it at the exit 25. As the re-loading member 16 moves rearwardly, the retracting member 52 enters the cylinder 54, placing the spring 80 therein under tension, and this is accomplished without intcrfering with the normal condition of the finger 58. At the completion of the rearward stroke of the re-loading member 16, the expansive force of the spring 80 within the cylinder 54 shifts the retracting member 52 and re-loading member 416 forward to normal position, and as this is accomplished another cartridge is removed from the magazine 64 and injected into the cartridge chamber 8 of the barrel 4.

The retractile movement of the reciprocatory member 48 has reset the hammer 28 and the gun may be againred.- This operation may be repeateduntil the magazine is exhausted, at which time the magazine may be quickly removed, reloaded, or a' loaded. magazine substituted forthe empty magazme.

lFrom the foregoing it will be observed that the pneumatic means employed forretracting the` reloading member 16 is independent ofthe hand operated means but that the hand operated means is at all times in position and `condition so that the reloading member 16 may be retracted by hand. When the pneumatic meansis employed for reloading purposes, the rifle has va shorter range than if the reloading is attained by hand, since the gas pressure behind the projectile is reduced, as brought out in my companion application. c

Anotherimportant feature is that of feeding the cartridges sidevvise in position to enter acartridge chamber, instead of from below or above, so with this end in view, it

is possible to locate the magazine at either side of the breech piece in the rear or at the front of the trigger guard whereby a cartridge may have a lateral movement toward the cartridge chamber.

. guns it may be necessary to locate the magazine so that it will not interfere with a left hand operation of the trigger.

A What I claim is l. A rifle comprising a breech piece hav- -ing a trigger linger piece guard, a barrel having a cartridge chamber, a magazine at the side of said breech piece and closing one side of the trigger finger piece guard, and a reciprocable re-loading -member in said Ibreech piece adapted to force a cartridge in a horizontal plane out of said magazine into the cartridge chamber of said barrel.

2. A rifle as characterized in claim 1,

wherein the magazine has a side opening communicating\with the breech piece and said breech piece has a normally closed top and a side exit opening opposite said magazine.

3. A rifle as characterized in claim 1, wherein the re-loading member is spring actuatedin one direction and hand operated in the opposite direction.

4. rifle comprising a breech piece having a trlgger finger piece guard, a barrel having a cartridge chamber, cartridge holding means at one side of said breech piece and closing one side of the trig er finger piece guard thereof, and reciproca le means in said breech piece adapted to engage the rearv end of the cartridge andforce it For some rifles orv lable magazine at the side of said laterally endwise out of the cartridge holding means .into the .cartridge chamber of said barrel.

5. A rifle comprising a breech piece having a trigger finger piece guard, a detachable barrel having a cartridge chamber, a detachbreech piece closing one side of the trigger finger piece guard thereof and having a side opening into said breech piece and adapted to expose the side of a cartridge in said breech piece, a reciprocable re-loading member in said breech piece, a cartridge gripping member carried by one side of said re-loading member, a cartridge moving member carried by the opposite side of said re-loading member adapted to engage the cap of a cartridge exposed by the magazine and shift it laterally out of the magazine into the barrel chamber, and means adapted to reciprocate said re-loading member so that the cartridge moving member may shift the cartridge into the barrel chamber and the cartridge gripping member Y extract the cartridge shell therefrom, the cartridge moving member acting'while the cartridge gripping member is stationary.

6. A rie as characterized in claiml 5 wherein the reciprocating means of said reloading member is spring actuated in one direction and actuated in the opposite direction by gas pressure from the rifle barrel.

vof' said breech piece,

7. A rifle comprising a barrel having a cartridge chamber, a breech piece having a normally closed top and a normally open exit at one side thereof, a magazine at-the opposite side of said breech piece adapted to expose a cartridge at the side of the breech piece, a reciprocable re-loading member in said breech piece, a cartridge gripping member in one side of said reciprocable re-loading member, a cartridge moving member `in the opposite side of said reciprocable reloading member adapted to engage the cap .of a cartridge and shift the y cartridge into the chamber of said barrel and into engagement with the cartridge gripping member of said reciprocable reloa ing member, an ejector carried by the cartridge moving member of said reciprocable reloading member and adapted to cooperate with said gripping member in ejecting a cartridge shell laterally from the exit and means adapted for reciprocating said re-loading member.

8. A riii'e as characterized in claim 7 wherein the reciprocating means of said re-loading member is spring actuated in one direction and hand operated in the opposite direction.

9. A riie as characterized in claim 7 wherein the reciprocating means of said reloading member is spring actuated in one direction and actuated in an opposite direction by gas pressure from the rifle barrel.

10. In a rifle, the combination of a breech piece having a trigger finger piece guard, a barrel attached thereto provided with a cartridge chamber, a magazine at the side of said breech piece and closing one side of the trigger finger piece guard, a re-loading member in said breech piece adapted to yobtain a cartridge from said magazine and shift it into said barrel chamber, an abutment forming part of `said breech piece adapted to be engaged by said re-loading member, a reciprocable member below said .re-loading member and having a head adapted tohold said rev-loading member in engagement with said abutment, a latch carried by said rev-loading member and ladapted to be engaged by the head of said reciprocable member to shift said latch against said abutment and lower the end of said re-loading member so that said reciprocable member may retract said reloading member, means adapted to shift said reciprocable member to retract said re-loading member, and means adapted to restore said re-loading member to normal position in said breech piece. f

11. The comblnation set forth in claim 10 wherein a cartridge firing mechanism oped to utilize gas pressure from the riiieto move said reciprocable'member inv one direction, a hammer pivoted below said reciprocable member and having a head adapted to extend through said reciprocable member and enter said reloading member to lire a cartridge and \be reset .during a retractile movement of said re-loading member, and a trigger pivoted in the rear of said hammer having two independent engagements with the head of said hammer to retain said hammer reset.

y14. An automatic repeating riiie as characterizedV in claim 13 wherein a rock shaft is associated with said trigger to engage the and hold it against actuation, and an operating crank on said rock shaft disposed to extend parallel to said trigger and be engaged by the same finger as the trigger.

15. In an automatic repeating rifle, a breech piece, a 'barrel carried by said breech piece and providing a cartridge chamber, a

`re-loading member in said breech piece,

adapted to ytransfer a `eartrid, g;e from said magazine to said barrel chamber, a pivoted latchcarried by said re-loading member, a

reciprocable member in said breech piece` adaptedkfor engagement with the latch of said re-loadingmemberfto move said reloading member in one direction to extract the cartridge case from the barrel chamber,l

a retracting member -pivotally connected to said reciprocable member, and ymeans associated with said retraeting member adapted to move said re-loading member inan opposite direction whenqsald reciprocable memberactuates said re-loadng member so manually actuated means adapted for com.

nection With said retracting-member to retract said member. f

acterizedin claim 15 wherein gas `pressure operated means is connected to said reciprocable-member to retract said member independently of said manually actuated means.

In testimony whereof I'aiiix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

. HARRY E. HINES.

ANNA M. Donn;

16. Anl automatic repeating rifle as char-y d 

